What?! August already? As I've been contemplating the evolution of music, especially this year, 2010 has gone and literally slipped under the radar. There were many events this year. A growing discontent with the concert business, which has seen a precipitous drop in attendance for many shows, a lowered distribution of new titles releasing on CD, and a serious reduction of catalogue titles being remastered and reissued. In comparison with years past.

Interestingly, we're starting to see older titles, even obscurities, beginning to bubble to the surface via DD (Digital Download) releasing. I'm not sure what this all means for the moment other than a shift is obviously occurring. One of the things that I've been wondering is why are the labels dragging their feet on licensing for DDs? Years ago, when this market was just forming, I could understand the reluctant behaviours...but now? At this time? One would have thought that by now, any service with a little bit of clout would be blossoming with digital songs for streaming and/or downloading for fees or otherwise. Like radio, a song gets played, a fee gets paid. But not yet.

Not yet. Makes us wonder why the state of music have been heading toward an uncertain future. Music will always exist, no doubt. It's pretty resilient. But Rock music now seems to be searching for a foothold, an identity that it has lost some years ago. One can look at the '40s, the '50s, the '60s, the '70s, and even the '80s, as very evolutionary. Beyond that, the music has struggled to find a new stage to become uniquely identifiable to the times it inhabits. It's been very unlucky.

Many upcoming and emerging bands are finding a bit of a home with the young who have been adopting the styles and sounds of the past decades. Nowadays, many bands have sounds that originate from their parents' collections. and they seem to do ok with it. But the bad side to ALL of it is that they are disposable, expendable for the new upcomers, who arise after them.

It just all feels like we have downward spiral that likely will have a very bad ending.

Hope I didn't ruin your fine August beginning.

Mike Duquette of The Second Disc has turned in a review of the recently released Deluxe Edition (2CD/DVD) of So Red The Rose by Duran Duran side project, Arcadia.

I want to alert TAP readers to the fact that I have finally put together a FaceBook fan page that you can access and join by clicking on the badge below.  What this offers is the exact same thing as my Twitter feeds provide and that is first buzz on upcoming releases and free offered downloads, many announcements  that beat our main post, sometimes by days.  We also provide a Google BUZZ page that expands on most of the Twitter/FB feeds. On Buzz, you can even hear the music stream if a stream is offered.  There are still things that I'm working on in the FB page, like calender notes as well as links to great sites like The Second Disc.  I invite you to join us at our FB page and bookmark it.  Visit it daily and you'll be rewarded with much news and info.  Of course, you'll still want to come to the main MusicTAP page for our noisy commentaries.  Remember, with our Twitter feeds, you can elect to receive the news bursts as text on your mobile phone keeping you effortlessly up to date with stuff.  Lots of choices.  Find one, or two, that fits.

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There will be a 20th Anniversary Edition of Empire being released by Queensryche on CD scheduled for September 14.

Plastic Head Distribution will release a vinyl LP version of Holy Diver (1983) by Dio planning a release date of September 14.

Plastic Head Distribution also plans the vinyl LP reissues for Bonded By Blood (1985), and Another Lesson in Violence (Live - 1997) by Exodus, also on September 14. Also watch for the LP re-releases of One Night at Budokan (Live - 1982), and The Michael Schenker Group (1980), for The Michael Schenker Group, as well as Strangers In the Night (Live - 1979) by UFO, all on the same release date of September 14.

Virgin Records has scheduled the LP incarnation of Plastic Beach (2010) by Gorillaz on September 14.

Questionable Entertainment/EMI will release the S/T debut album from Rock band, The Gracious Few on September 14.

Astralwerks has the Remix EP coming on LP from Hot Chip on September 14.

Mute Records have the upcoming Junip album called Fields planned for CD, Deluxe Edition CD, and vinyl LP on September 14.

Classics Catalog plans the release of The Very Best of Ravi Shankar on CD on September 14.

Captiol Records will release Christmas With the Rat Pack by that collection of well-known crooners so famous I don't even have to mention their names, on September 14.

Caroline Records is planning a string of unique DDs for a variery of respected bands from the '70s that include Barclay James Harvest, Babe Ruth, and Audience. These will be John Peel Session: April 7, 1972 (Audience); Bob Harris Session: January 2, 1973; Bob Harris Session: February 18, 1973; John Peel Session: August 2, 1973 (Babe Ruth); and Bob Harris Session: March 15, 1973; Bob Harris Session: July 5, 1973 (Barclay James Harvest). All DD releases are scheduled for August 24. Note: Bob Harris was with BBC and presented on The Old Grey Whistle Test.

Capitol Records will release a collection for The Dandy Warhols called The Capitol Years: 1995-2007 on CD planned for August 24.

Virgin Records plan the CD reissue of The Great Rock and Roll Swindle (1979) by Sex Pistols although it's a bit of a Various Artists soundtrack. It also contains the great version of "My Way" by Sid Vicious. It's planned for reissue on August 24.

Def Jam plans a CD/DD release of a 'Not Yet Titled' album by Ron Isley on September 28.